Recent advances in electronics have made possible the sensing and collection of data from various physical systems which relates to both the operation of the physical system and the conditions under which the system is being operated. This data may include, but is not limited to, how, when, and where a system is being operated. This type of data is referred to herein as usage based data. Examples of physical systems where usage based data can be collected may include, but are not limited to, automobiles, airplanes, motorcycles, boats, robots, and industrial equipment.
Systems that collect and store sensed data from physical systems have been disclosed in the prior art. For example some insurance firms have an on board diagnostics chip that resides in cars used to collect and report data.
However, to date, no satisfactory method has been put forward to link behavior to the large amount of data being collected in various physical systems. This invention herein relates to a novel method to describe behavior, using usage based data. Once behavior is quantified then it can be used for such purposes as assessing risk, marketing, safety, or predicting future behavior.
Risk as disclosed herein is defined as likelihood of an undesirable event. In the insurance industry, risk includes, but is not limited to, the probability that a vehicle will be involved in a collision with another vehicle, striking a stationary object or animal, causing personal injury, causing property damage, or being subject to theft or vandalism. Assessing risk is of interest to insurers. Previously insures assessed risk based on parameters including age, sex, and past record of accidents. It has been recognized that data collected directly from automobiles (or other physical systems) may be used to more accurately determine risk. Risk in the medical industry includes, bit is not limited to, the probability that a patient will recover, develop an infection, or have an adverse reaction to a medication. The ability to assess risk is universal across all industries.
This invention proposes quantifying behavior to usage based data collected from various physical systems. In the case of an automobile the usage based data may include, but is not limited to, such things as speed, acceleration, time of day, weather conditions, and turns. Thus by quantifying behavior of an automotive system, risk of accident can be assessed. In the case of a medical industry the usage based data may include, but is not limited to, such things as patent age, patient weight, if the patient is a smoker, family medical history, and other diseases the patient may already have. Thus by quantifying behavior of a patient system, the risk of a medical procedure can be assessed.
Although described with reference to automobiles with the insurance industry and patients in the medical field, this invention may be applied to any physical system.
An example of automobile usage based data and an insurance company using described behavior to assess risk to determining insurance rates, is used for illustrative purposes herein. This example is used for clarification for the purpose only and should not be construed to limit the scope of this patent. It is contemplated that these methods can and will be used in other industries and should not be considered limited to the auto insurance industry.
System operational data is collected at discrete intervals. The data collected relates to the operation of the system. For example, assume the system is an automobile. In this case, data may be collected every few seconds related to the time and date of operation, the speed of the automobile, and the location of the automobile.
New electronic methods allow the collection and storage of vast amounts of data. This data collection process results in large quantities of data that need to be assessed in order for it to be useful. A snapshot is defined as the conditions of operation at a given point in time. These may include, but are not limited to, time, date, location, altitude, and speed. In the example of the automobile, the snapshots of the automobile operation need to be analyzed so that operational behavior can be quantified. This information can be used by an automobile insurer can determine if the automobile is being operated in a safe manner or a risky manner.